What does Honda have in store with the new City? Replicating the success of one of India’s most favored petrol saloons is not likely to be easy.

Honda is ready to replace the venerable City about the 25th of November in India. In my books, the successor features a pretty tough task prior to it, much like the Civic, and we all know how that went.

Even today, the town remains among the finest petrol saloons in that segment. The design doesn’t look dated and it still is a great cabin to be in, albeit sparsely equipped. Apart from added equipment, a much more supple ride and a more involving driving experience, I can’t imagine much else that I would wish changed about the City. I certainly don’t want it to be bigger, and indeed do not want it to be more expensive.

But the lay of the land points to a different scenario. Considering the Civic is virtually dead (for quite a while to come), a bigger and more expensive City could kill two birds with one stone.

The second protagonist is Honda’s Amaze, which tops off at Rs 7.2 lakh and Rs 8.2 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai) for the petrol and diesel versions, respectively. With that gap filled in from the Amaze, the town certainly won’t be getting less expensive. With higher localisation, more engine and platforms sharing, they have the perfect opportunity to prove or disprove that notion, though Honda’s pricing often discovers as arrogant.